Steven Erikson, an archaeologist and anthropologist by education, a passionate fantasy writer and author of the series “Tales from the Malazan Book of the Fallen”, was born on October 7, 1959 in Toronto.
Steven Erikson, or actually Steve Rune Lundin, is one of the most famous fantasy writers. However, before reaching for a pen, he worked for several years as an archaeologist and anthropologist.
He took his first steps in writing in The Workshop Iowa Writers’ creative writing course, where he obtained a master’s degree in fine arts. While studying, he wrote a few short stories entitled A Ruin of Feathers , whose hero was an archaeologist. Subsequent collections of short stories were published by the Canadian publishing house TSAR.
Gardens of the Moon (1999), the first book in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series , was nominated for a World Fantasy Award. This and the next 9 parts making up the entire series have sold hundreds of thousands of copies around the world. Erikson himself said that he did not expect such a great success. The idea was created in collaboration with the archaeologist Ian C. Esslemont as a scenario for an RPG game.
His other books include the series of Kharkanas or Tales of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach, as well as many others. Some he published under his real name.
Steven Erikson likes to play with convention, mix different genres and … kill characters. Every scene matters. A lot is happening in this author’s universe. This is literature for careful readers.
Every writer wants to convey something through his books. Erikson is no exception.
Give the demon scarlet scales and sharp claws. Tentacles and fangs dripping venom. Three eyes and six serpent tongues. (…) In reality, however, evil is just a word, unnecessary objectification. Let us reject the idea of an external factor that is the source of unimaginable cruelty. The sad truth is that we are all prone to indifference, consciously refusing mercy, rejecting everything moral in us –
is a quote from his book Myto ogarów (2008). How do you think he is right?